The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-12-24
A CROSS ROADS GENTLE
 MAN.

u' itNVis tl ItAliNlu HaNc (NahSH Nt
 fear that the historian may fail to
 hand down Ia succeeding generations Il correct pietare of the haekwoods
 politician. In dc;ion he has been
 painted as Awning monkey, in the drama his place Is that of very low comedian; and in the hands ot the
 newspaper correspondent he is cross
 between brow beating ruilian and sycophantie ass. in truth, the typical
 backwoods politician k libcral-
 minded man, lacking in moral courage; an educator who feels the want ot sys-
 tematiC training n man who acknowl- edges the virtue ot temperance but
 who sometimes gets drunk He is a
 model host, though perhaps Il slip.
 pery friend. He Is a generous lender,
 though he may rarely pay his debts.
 What he lacks in wlcdge he makes
 up In old jokes. He has spent more
 time with men than with books: he
 is more hearty than polite; more self assertive than gentle, and although hr
 Is poor listener, he is not tircsomc
 talkcr Not learned enough to cx-
 pound an old and worn-out theory,
 he tells you of his amusing bhndcrs
 in society. In his hlnnders there lies
 much of his strength, for, by relating
 them, he shows his constituents that
 hc has made no attempt to lift himself above his "raisin'." He breaks secret
 promise that he may keep public ono. In telling many small lies he sometimes illustrates n large truth.
 He k no more il hypocrite than the merchant who lawns for patronage or the lawyer who blows his own client calling horn. He can never become statesman and 1t may be doubted whether or not his county Is ever sub stantially aided by his services, but he makes the people believe that he h do- ing great work; and, II they are not grossly deceived, he has done no par ticular harm. The country politician, if he be truly conscientious, cannot be successful. What conscientious uan can be successfully Is your preacher truly honest when he congratulates himself npon the fashionable appear nncc of his congregation, or when after the services he warmly grasps the rich but coidiy shakes hands with the poor2 Our friend, the cross roads politician, makes not show of such servile distinction. He grasps with warmth the plowman's hand, and pre- tends to look with cold investigation upon the heartless man of wealth. This gives the rich man no concern but 1t makes the plowmaD feel his own importance. When the rich are slightcd they lean with consolation on their pride; but the poor man when neglected, l having no recourse of self-consciDus 1 superiority, broods over the ofense. So, the preacher inserts thorn in neg 1 lecting poorer members of his flock, l while the politician, in his election ecring, does not infict 4 painful wound.
 While in the legislature. the cross roads politician, 1t must be admitted, is not the soul of honor. His cam paign has cost him more than he could l well afford, and--well, 1t has been hinted that he accepted mileage 10 an amount beyond that which was just. Some such charges, we believe, have been brought in several legislative bodies, but we are pleased to know that the cross roads gentleman has generally succeeded in explaining away all discredit marks, not before the Investigating committee, but be- fore the assembled voters of his com munity. He makss joke. "My fel- low citizens" !" @ys he, T have discov- cred that honesty, if not the best policy, is often the safsst You boys know thst don't want anything that don't belong to me. Uncle Billy Slater, there-aDd I have received q s